It's become clear that the future will be
driven almost entirely by data, as our reliance on modern technology grows.
Huge stores of data are building up, which means we need a place that is
reliable and responsive to store it all.

Queue cloud computing. It is lucrative for many
because it offers vast data capacities and streamlined performance. Not just
that, but a business or organization can also take advantage of everything
modern computing has to offer without the drawbacks of hosting and maintaining
an in-house data center.

Many consider cloud computing and remote
technologies to be the biggest growth sector today, with a projected market
value of $411
billion by 2020. Seeing those numbers, there's no question
cloud computing has a lot of potential, especially when it comes to career
opportunities.

Santa Monica College (SMC) in California has
developed a new cloud computing certificate. This credential incorporates
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the AWS Educate program, two of the best
initiatives for cloud-related learning.

Why the Amazonian Opportunities Are Such a Big
Deal

AWS leads the cloud computing industry. It has
some of the largest servers in the world, driving formidable cloud-based
services like Amazon S3, SageMaker, Athena and CloudSearch alongside an ever-growing list of options.
Amazon's platform is used by some of the most renowned companies in existence,
including Netflix, McDonald's, General Electric and Sony.

That kind of success breeds a lot of
opportunity. In fact, cloud computing and AWS certifications offer some of
the highest salaries in the IT industry.

Therefore, Santa Monica is doing right by its
students by creating a program that will put them on a fast-track to success.

According to the college, in just 15 units,
students can earn enough knowledge and skills to pursue a career in the cloud
computing industry. The program - made possible thanks to Amazon's global AWS
educate initiative - will introduce participating students to AWS technologies,
early programming, database management, network security and similar IT
essentials.

For the uninitiated, most of this does sound
incredibly promising, but it does little to quell confusion regarding cloud
computing.

How
Does SMC's Cloud Computing Certification Program Stack Up Against the
Competition?

Comparing SMC's cloud computing and AWS
certification to similar credentials, we can make more sense of its value.

You'll notice right away that two of the top
five are related to Amazon's Web Services platform. That highlights how
important and influential experience with the technology can be for one's
career.

The top solution, AWS Certified Solutions
Architect, is one of the best credentials in the entire industry. It follows
the architecture and deployment of cloud computing applications, deployed via
the AWS platform. It is essentially the bread and butter, if you will, of the
cloud sector.

You cannot hope to do anything critical-for any
employer-without first understanding how to develop and deploy applications,
and leverage the AWS service. The AWS Certified SysOps Admin program, and both
the Google Cloud Architect and Cloud Security Knowledge programs are more of
the same.

In any of the above programs, students will learn
the basics of the cloud, starting with hardware failure and
maintenance support, to more crucial aspects like application deployment.

The Certified Solutions Architect program has
three career paths including architecture, development, and operations. Each of
these paths are divided into two levels: Associate and Professional. As you
follow the program you become well-versed in the path of your choosing, with
end exams in place to test your knowledge once you reach the end of a
curriculum.

At a glance, SMC's program appears to be more
robust, and more efficient. The well-rounded experience and knowledge you gain,
alone, is enough to warrant choosing the college's program over the traditional
AWS Solutions Architect path.

Is
SMC's Program for You?

Nearly anyone and everyone is using some form
of cloud computing or remote technology in today's hyper-digital landscape.
Knowing all that, it doesn't take a genius to see why a career in this field
would be so promising.

Furthermore, there are dozens of facets
associated with the technology, from maintenance and security to client and
server applications. Any company looking to work with cloud computing platforms
or AWS specifically will need a versatile, well-rounded team to support its
efforts.

Santa Monica's cloud computing certificate will
help students develop and grow the skills necessary to make an impact in the
industry. Whether you want to become a data analyst or security engineer, or
just build a few simple cloud computing applications of your own, SMC's program
is the way to go.